Genesis
by Oniyuri-chan
Summary: When the princess of the ancient land of Hyrule is taken prisoner by the demon Ganon, she breaks the Triforce of Wisdom into eight shards to prevent its misuse. Can a young warrior-in-training from Calatia be the their savior?


**THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: GENESIS**

He opened his eyes, sleep still blurring the corners of his vision. Thick locks of brown hair fell over his forehead, poking out from under a pointed green cap. Large, elfin ears twitched, as a far-off rumbling sound echoed from some far-off direction. He pulled up his head, lifting his small frame from the grassy earth. There was a faint breeze that tossed his hair about, his expression stoic and unreadable.

The boy sleepily checked a small leather pack that lay a foot or so away from where he had awoke, finding an empty purse inside of it. He grimaced- his money was gone. Where was he? The boy looked no more than twelve or thirteen. Rising to his feet, he couldn't glean any understanding from his surroundings. The terrain was unfamiliar; he had never been to such a place before. The clearing appeared to be in a sparsely wooded area, plant life thriving at every corner. A nearby bluff bordered the clearing, a conspicuous, dark cave in its face. He looked about some more- there were a few pathways that appeared to lead in various directions. The cave was someone ominous; he opted to continue north through a pair of trees.

As he followed the path, he found another clearing, just as grassy and vibrant as the previous area, with a few more trees sprinkled around. He continued cautiously- this place wasn't anything like his home country of Calatia. There was something uncomfortably formulaic about the landscape.

He turned a corner farther than down the path, finding another area with large boulders and yet another suspicious cave. But not a moment later he found himself toe-to-toe with an odd, red creature; it was maybe three feet tall, with large black eyes and a huge round snout, maybe a foot in diameter. Its body was comically rotund, standing upon several stubby, short legs. It eyed him malevolently, and suddenly he saw the snout flex. Before he could react, a rock was expelled from its snout, hitting the boy square in the gut. He doubled over, uttering a sharp cry of pain. He looked up, but the creature had scuttled away. The boy rose, looking down at the ground where the rock had fell. It crumbled rapidly into powdery dirt, as if it had been only temporarily compacted into a solid mass.

He realized then how dangerous this place was. He had nothing to defend himself with- no club nor sword, no bow and not even a shield. He wouldn't last long in this strange land without something; he could already feel much of his strength was gone.

Summoning the courage, the injured boy stumbled into the nearby cave. The cave was dark, but oddly sterile- nary a pebble out of place. The dim, flickering light of a torch suggested human presence. He found a wooden table spread with a slim selection of what appeared to be merchandise for sale, as each item was tagged neatly with a price. He skipped over a handful of keys and a stack of candles, drawn immediately to shield. He frowned at the memory of his emptied wallet. He couldn't afford it, but he stole a glance at the price- Magic Shield. 160 Rupees. His searching fingers fell upon its polished wood, his blue eyes lighting up in interest.

"Buy somethin' will ya?" a rude voice said from behind him. With a jump, the boy turned his head to see a gruff man staring down at him suspiciously. "You got money for that shield, boy?"

He quickly withdrew his hands, holding them behind his back and facing the shopkeeper. He shook his head earnestly.

"Then get out!"

He found himself back outside with more of the rock-spitting creatures. He scampered back south, planning to retrace his steps- the clearing where he had woken up was monster-free, if he recalled.

He found his way back rather easily, stopping to catch his breath. He noticed the cave from earlier that he hadn't been keen on entering, and now his curiosity was piqued. If one cave held a shop, what could be inside this one?

Every nerve on edge, he entered the cave quietly. He found no shop, but a single elderly man in a dimly lit room, sitting on the floor in silent meditation. Two torches flanked him, but the cave was otherwise empty.

The boy's footsteps echoed with an eerie volume. One of the old man's eyes peered open, and he looked straight at him.

"Boy, do you have a name?" he asked suddenly, remaining on the floor. Link faltered, but nodded slowly.

"What is it then, come on."

"Link," he said quietly. "My name is Link."

The old man was clad in many layers of ragged robes, his hands hidden away in his large sleeves. He stood, coming closer to the boy. "What was that, boy? Forgive me, my hearing isn't what it used to be."

"L-Link," he stammered loudly. He avoided speaking when he could; his tongue tended to stumble over the words.

"Ah, Link, is it? That's an unusual name. You don't look as if you are from around here, Link."

Link nodded. "I'm...not. Where is...'around here', exact...ly?"

He chuckled. "You are unarmed," he noted, pulling his hands out of his long robes. A short, sheathed sword was in his hands. He proffered it to Link.

"It's dangerous to go alone. Take this!"

Link complied, taken aback. "I...uh, thanks," he muttered. He didn't get an answer, but the old man simply walked back to his place on the floor and sat back down.

Link walked out nervously, as if that was what he was expected to do. At the last moment, he turned around and said, "Where AM I, sir?"

But the old man was gone. Even more nervous now, Link removed the sword from its leather scabbard. It was crafted from sturdy wood. He tied the sheath to his belt and swung the blade experimentally. Clasping it in his left hand, he nodded with satisfaction. It was well made, even though it was of cheap material, and he found it was easy for him to hold.

Thankful to have a weapon, Link took the opportunity to take stock of what he had. A wooden sword, an empty wallet and absolutely no bearings on his environment whatsoever. He was curious to know more about this strange country of people that lived in caves.

He glanced again back where the old man had been, but he was just as absent as before.

Link was on his own.

**A/N: Thanks for reading, and please review! This is a new kind of story for me and I don't know if I will continue it unless I get some positive feedback. **


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